{{Romans 6}} illustrates a mind-boggling reality with a
\nsimple picture. While dealing with the difficulty of our sinful natures Paul
\nmakes us look to something that is known to all believers—the baptism by water.
\nHis purpose, though, does not remain in the symbol but stretches into the
\ninfinite wisdom and love of God that would bestow on sinners the mercy and love
\nthey did not deserve. We can, thankfully, look at this portion to provoke a
\nfire in our own thinking no matter how long we’ve been in Christ.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some of us may have the vaguest recollection of our baptism
\nwhile others may still be wet behind the ears from the event. Some of us may
\nhave carried out the command without understanding but in sheer obedience to
\nour Lord while some of us entered the baptismal waters with our heads filled with
\nexplanatory verses. As believers we all should’ve gone through it and it bears
\nremembering.<\/p>\n
Why? Because it was the means by which the Holy Spirit could
\nregenerate us? Because it welcomed us into a community of like-minded people? Vehemently
\nno. We should remember our baptism because this small picture helps us come to
\nterms with the grandeur of God’s plans while simultaneously painting a picture
\nof both historical and spiritual truth.<\/p>\n
Paul states that we, who have been baptized into Christ,
\nhave been baptized into His death. Dwell on who this Christ is. The Messiah.
\nThe one spoken about throughout the Scriptures and sang about in the Psalms.
\nThat One who was the seed of the woman {{Gen 3:15}}, the promised seed of Abraham
\n({{Gal 3:16}}), the holder of the scepter from the tribe of Judah ({{Gen
\n49:10}}), the fulfilled promise to David ({{2 Sam 7:12-16}}), God’s Holy anointed—that
\nOne came and was rejected. That person, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ),
\nwas judged by Mankind as unrighteous and worthy of the worst kind of death, was
\nlifted up as a curse before the eyes of God ({{Gal 3:13}}) and belittled openly.
\nJesus Messiah who, as the Father of the Trinity (somehow) turns away from the
\nsecond person of the trinity, would shout out the words of the Psalmist saying
\n“My God, My God why have you forsaken me!”({{Ps 22:1}}, {{Matt 27:46}}). This
\nJesus Christ who his kinsman scorned as He hung there naked and battered while
\nthey wagged their heads saying “He could save others—let us see if He saves
\nHimself…then we’ll believe Him.”({{ Luke 23:35}}). This Jesus Christ who died
\nand was buried is The One the believer identifies with.<\/p>\n
The believer doesn’t profess faith with water but with the
\nheart and mind. When the believer, broken hearted and his sin evident before
\nhim, realized his or her guilt before the eternal God and looked to the cross
\nof Jesus Christ acknowledging Him as his only hope of salvation he was saved.
\nThat salvation is not possible if it were not through Christ. That the death Christ
\ndied on the cross, innocent and blameless, was on behalf of the guilty and vile
\nsinner. The person believes and in so doing acknowledges his own guilt and the
\ninnocence of the Lord.<\/p>\n
What does he do in baptism then? He identifies with him. The
\nbeliever stands up before the witnesses and is immersed in the water as a
\npicture of Christ’s death but simultaneously saying “I died in Christ”. Dipped
\nin those waters the believer typifies to the world the fact that he has become
\nunited with Christ in death. <\/p>\n
What does this mean to the world then? “I sat against Him in
\nthe council with you sinners. He, Jesus the Son of David and the Messiah
\naccording the Scriptures, is the only righteous man and we crucified Him. I
\nstand with Him stating He is innocent and we…you…are not.”{{Psalms 1}}<\/p>\n
If you go into a courtroom where the judge is handing down a
\njudgment on the guilty party and you stand before the judge and say “I stand
\nwith him. You judge him guilty, but you are wrong—he is right. Do with me as
\nyou do with him since this court is faulty.” You should expect the full wrath
\nof the Court.<\/p>\n
Christ tells us as much. Persecutions will come he told his
\ndisciples. There would come a time where they will torture you thinking they do
\nGod a service…but they do these things to you because they have done as much to
\nme ({{John 15:15-25}}). <\/p>\n
That first century Jew who stood against his kinsman would
\nfully expect the worse. Jews had been trained after many years not to bow the
\nknee to an idol and here they were—bowing to a man and calling Him “God”. Paul
\nbore the marks of his testimony as he was mocked and beaten, whipped and stoned
\nand left for dead. Our baptism today, in a free country void of such heated
\npersecution may give a warm glow of a memory—but realize what it meant to that
\nfirst century Jew ({{1 Pet 3:15-21}}).<\/p>\n
But it doesn’t end there. If we are baptized in the likeness
\nof His death we are also lifted up out of the baptismal waters in the likeness
\nof His resurrection. The believer now stands up to walk in newness of life.<\/p>\n
Surely this means that the believer openly states that a
\nlife of sinning is not for him or her. That the believer in his entire self,
\nthe perceived good, the evil, the supposed neutral has all died in Christ and
\nnow the believer is free to live—not as himself but as Christ. Paul would state
\nthat He is crucified with Christ and yet he lives, but not he but Christ living
\nwithin him and the life he lives in the flesh he lives by faith in the Son of
\nGod. That is also our banner cry when we are lifted out of the waters—but what
\nare we also pictorially stating?<\/p>\n
That Christ lives. That God the Judge has overturned the decision of the world
\nand has lifted Christ up alive out of the grave. Peter would point out to the
\ngathered Jews in Jerusalem on Pentecost that they have crucified that Messiah
\nwhich was promised—but God would not allow His Anointed to see corruption and
\nso He lives waiting for the day that His enemies are to be made His footstool. Many
\nof those witnesses heard Peter’s words and, realizing their error, asked what
\nthey were to do to be saved ({{Acts 2}}).<\/p>\n
I do wonder if our baptisms should be performed before the
\ncold eyes of the outright unbeliever instead of the warm caresses of family and
\nfriends. Perhaps that initial act of obedience would further impress upon us
\nthe reality which we proclaim: not only did Christ die…but He lives and He himself
\nis coming back to set the balance straight. You as a believer, baptized in
\nthose waters can stand and walk in newness of life because your sins have been
\njudged on Christ. <\/p>\n
If you were to go into the annals of my life seeking a way
\nto condemn me you will find much but it would be useless. You would get to a
\npage where it would read “account closed…Rey died”. <\/p>\n
There is therefore now no condemnation for Rey, thank God,
\nbut there is a condemnation coming…and it will be fierce and righteous—clearing
\nthis world of its unjust rulings and setting the balance right. Oh listen to
\nthe jubilee of creation—the mountains shouting for joy and the rivers clapping
\ntheir hands for there will be a judgment ({{Psalms 98}})! That unrighteous
\ndecision will be brought to bear on humanity and Christ Himself will stand with
\npower and authority to judge ({{John 5:19-47}}, {{Rom 8}}).<\/p>\n
So remember your baptism believer, new or old, and consider
\nthe implications thereof.<\/p>\n
-r- <\/em><\/p>\n